


Tooth and Claw

by FlukeOfFate



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Babies, DWELFLING, KILIEL BABY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 09:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5242955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlukeOfFate/pseuds/FlukeOfFate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legolas isn't used to babies, and Gimli was not expecting a cranky niece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tooth and Claw

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_dragongirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_dragongirl/gifts), [avi17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avi17/gifts).



> This is entirely inspired by TheDragonGirl and Avi17, who gave me a prompt when I said I wanted to write some Gigolas, and who were both responsible for some of the head canons in this fic. Not Beta-ed. Early morning writings are tiring. But yayyyy fic! I hope you like.

Babies were strange to Legolas. He had not known many Elf children in his life. Oh, certainly he had a few playmates in his youth, young Elves with whom he could train. Tauriel was younger than he, a sibling of sorts after her parents were killed in a spider attack. But babies? Never up close. Elves seemed to have fewer and fewer young ones in the last 1000 years. Perhaps the growing darkness in their forest made the Elves of Mirkwood less inclined to bring children into the world. 

But now, the forest of his youth was green again. The world was brighter. It was not so long ago now that the Battle of Five Armies was won, and Thorin Oakenshield was crowned King Under the Mountain. 

The coronation was quite the spectacle. Strict Dwarfish rituals, followed by great feasting and revelry. For the first time in history, a contingent of Elves were present for all of it. Well, almost all of it. Dwarves were not ones to give up all their secrets after only one successful alliance. There was however, the matter of Prince Kili and Tauriel. Their determination to wed made it impossible to shut the Elves out completely. 

Legolas was grateful for their union. Oh, he was certainly shocked by it in the beginning, even offended at the notion of an Elf and a Dwarf being together. But now…well. Legolas was a pot and just as black as the kettle. And Gimli was the fire that made him so.

Gimli. Kili’s little cousin. So young and brash when they first met. Legolas was forced to reconcile his feelings when the one he once called ‘goblin mutant’ managed to leave him breathless in their first argument. The young dwarf’s biting wit was like a heated blade, cutting and cauterizing a wound all at once, for his clever tongue could tear down or build up in the space of a few words. All his talk was matched by action. Gimli was a skilled warrior, even as an untried youth, and he was all too keen to prove it, challenging Legolas to sparing matches, target practice, and even riding. They would ever debate the superiority of rams verses horses, neither ever truly comfortable on their other’s preference. For all their bickering, it became apparent to all who dwelt in mountain or wood, that there was none but Gimli that could match Legolas so completely. 

They were very much in love before the One Ring was revealed, and after the ring was destroyed, none were surprised at their resolution to marry. By then they had many supporters. Lady Dis, Kili’s mother, was very fond of her daughter in law, and fiercely protective of her family as a general rule. Bringing another Elf into the line of Durin was not too large a thing if it meant protecting the happiness of her kin. Gimli’s immediate family had been bracing for this day almost since Kili and Tauriel’s wedding, when Gloin had noticed how often Gimli’s eyes were flitting to a certain Elf Prince more than they were watching the ceremony. 

The political alliance was not a bad perk either. Stability between Elves and Dwarves was key to a peaceful future. Kili and Tauriel set a precedent, but he was not the crown prince, and she was of low birth. Legolas, on the other hand was the only Prince of Mirkwood, and Thranduil would never rob his own son of happiness. 

It really didn’t seem that anything else could bring their peoples more together—until this past summer. Tauriel had grown lethargic, even occasionally sleeping with closed eyes. Her appetite would wane then return three fold without warning. Everyone feared for her health, but when an Elven healer was fetched, their concern was turned to joy. Tauriel was with child. A child that would be both Dwarf and Elf. Few had believed it possible, and after some years had passed without a child, most Dwarves felt it was confirmed. Dwarves bore children frequently, and to go more than five years without any sign of a child would leave any Dwarf family fearing the worst. Elves however, were very slow to conceive, and it was not uncommon for a married couple to go centuries without a child. Truly, this baby was a miracle, a gift from the Valar. 

A gift that was, at this moment, tangled in Gimli’s beard.

Legolas heard the cooing and giggling mixed with soft grumbling before he entered the home that he shared with his husband in Aglarond. He had just returned from another dull meeting with the latest envoy from Eryn Lasgalen. Although he did appreciate getting news from his father, Legolas had been far too distracted to focus. Tauriel and Kili would be bringing Aderthiel, their little girl to visit, and he was stuck in boring discussions about trade. He had escaped at the first opportunity and nearly ran back to his and Gimli’s chambers. He was so curious to see a baby up close. There weren’t any babies in Aglarond yet.

Legolas smiled broadly when he saw the toddler in Gimli’s arms, all wiggle and pudge and squeals. She was reaching in and around his beard, and seemed intent on grabbing—no, eating—the many golden beads that adorned his red whiskers. Every time he managed to pull her away from one bead, she went for another. Poor Gimli’s beard was showing signs of the struggle, several braids coming undone. The small one’s hands were tiny, but her grip was solid and strong. 

Legolas did not announce himself, taking a moment to just watch in amusement. This was new to him, and he wanted to savor the moment, analyzing every movement and enjoying every sound. 

Gimli finally decided enough was enough. The child let out a squeal of indignation when he held her with his arms outstretched, trying to get some distance from his beard—but she was a quick thing, and Gimli’s maneuver only made things worse when she grabbed the small braids of his mustache. 

Gimli yelped, and Legolas could not help but laugh. 

“Oh, THERE you are,” Gimli groaned. “What took so long? Tauriel and Kili left nigh an hour ago.”

Legolas approached Gimli and kissed him on the cheek. “Sorry love, I came as quickly as I could.” He glanced at the baby, still dangling where Gimli was holding under her arms. “Having difficulties?”

Gimli’s face twisted in annoyance. “I’ve been wrestling with little Adi since she woke from her nap. Kili and Tauriel wanted a little time to themselves. Kili said she’d be asleep for at least an hour. She was up not ten minutes after they left.”

Legolas chuckled again, earning a ‘humph’ of indignation from his Dwarf. “Do you want me to take over for a bit?”

Gimli plopped Aderthiel into Legolas’ arms before he even finished his question. “You can try and get her to sleep.” 

Aderthiel was not pleased at being handed off to this new person and began to scream. She clearly wanted Gimli. Or at least, she wanted Gimli’s beard, and reached for it frantically, trying to squirm out of Legolas’ grasp.

Gimli sighed. “You are sorely lacking in facial hair.”

“Clearly,” Legolas agreed. He didn’t return her to to him, and began to bounce her, to try to distract her with some new activity, as he had seen mothers do in Erebor. “There, there, little Adi, let’s find a new game, shall we? Uncle Gimli is tired out!”

“Good luck with that!” said Gimli with a smile. “She is particularly single minded, stubborn even.”

“Very Dwarfish.’

“Pft.” 

Legolas began to sing a soft Elvish lullaby, a non-sense song from his youth. Surely, if Legolas could sooth animals with his voice, a child would not be much different? Suddenly, the baby stopped crying. The Elf prince was about to say something smug about having a way with children, when he noticed that something else had caught her attention. She began to crawl over his shoulder. Legolas turned to see what she saw, but there was nothing behind him. 

“Ai!” Legolas cried as something pulled on his hair. Aderthiel had found his marriage beads. She made very quick work at getting one in her mouth and soon was pulling with both hands, twisting the pale strands of hair most painfully. 

“Gimli, love, please help!”    
“Not so funny now is it?” Gimli chided, but managed to stifle his laughter long enough to detangle the squirming infant, who instantly began crying again. 

“What has gotten into her?” Legolas wondered aloud. “Do dwarf babies eat every shiny thing they see?”

“How should I know? Maybe this is an Elven thing?” 

“But surely you have more experience with babies in general!”

“Why would I have more experience?”

“I don’t know, there are lots of babies in Erebor! You were a baby!”

“SO WERE YOU!”

“YOU WERE MORE RECENT!”

“The doesn’t mean I—OUCH!”

Aderthiel, having been denied her hair bead, has settled for Gimli’s hand, leaving a small but very red mark. 

“Gimli, are you alright?” Legolas asked as Gimli rubbed the tiny wound. 

“I’m fine! It just stings,” he said. “She sure has some sharp teeth for a…teeth!”

“What?”

“Her teeth!” Gimli said excitedly. Legolas did not understand. “She is teething!” he explained. "Poor thing. Her teeth are coming in. She needs something to chew.”

It took Legolas a moment to catch up. Then his mind provided a fleeting memory of childhood, and an emptiness in his mouth. “Oh! Teeth!” He said, and Gimli gave him a look. 

“That’s right. All dwarves goes through teething. Don’t Elves?”

“Yes, we do. But I don’t recall being so fussy.”

“Hah, you, fussy? Never.” Gimli gave him a wink, and Legolas stuck out his tongue. “Set her down on those blankets would you?”

Legolas did as he was told, locating a small nest on the rug in their sitting area. Gimli began pacing through their rooms, searching through drawers and over desks. 

“What are you searching for?”

“We need something for her to bite on. Dwarves, when children begin to teethe, often wear larger wooden beads in our beards and hair, so they can bite them safely. I can’t believe I didn’t realize sooner. I need to find something wooden and large enough for her not to swallow.” 

Legolas was kept busy making sure Aderthiel didn’t crawl away, while Gimli continued searching. This went on for several minutes, until Legolas heard Gimli mumble, “It’s not great, but it will have to do.”

He showed Legolas. 

“Are you sure?” 

“It’s all I have.”

*****************

“YOU GAVE MY DAUGHTER AN AXE?” Gimli and Legolas braced themselves as Kili continued to holler. “ARE YOU OUT OF YOU MINDS?”

“Oh, please, it’s not like she can lift the thing,” Gimli retorted.

“And we did wrap up the blade, thoroughly!” Legolas added. “And we kept an eye on her.”

“She was in pain, she needed something to chew.”

“But an AXE HANDLE? Did you even wash it?” Kili asked, still horrified at their solution. 

“Of course we did!”

“Oh Kili, calm down. You put far worse in your mouth as a child,” said Dis, who had returned with her son and daughter-in-law. 

“Really, dear, you are over reacting.” agreed Tauriel, now holding her daughter, who was happily gnawing on a large teething bead. “And honestly, we should have given them a bead to start with. Our mistake. So sorry, sweetie.” She kissed Aderthiel on her forehead, and the baby made a happy gurgling noise in response. 

Kili crossed his arms and huffed. “I can’t believe you are defending this.”

Kili was ever the over protective parent. Oin often complained of the number of times he had come running to him in a panic. Anything could make him nervous. No, Kili, she doesn’t have a stomach bug, you just didn’t burp her properly. No, Kili, she is fine, it’s a mosquito bite, not the plague.

Dis tutted at Kili. “You hush. Or I will be forced to tell them about some of the things you ate willingly as a little one. And the consequences.”

Kili paled. Clearly there were some unpleasant memories flashing through his head.

“Now, Tauriel dear, let me see my grandchild. I have a few dwarven songs to teach her, and I think she is due for a nap.”

It didn’t take long for Dis’ lullabies to send Aderthiel into a soft slumber. The baby feel asleep, bead dangling from her mouth, covered in drool. 

Legolas watched her in fascination as he snuggled into Gimli on the sofa. “You know, she’s a lot cuter when she isn’t screaming.”

Gimli smirked. “Have you ever wanted one, love?”

Legolas chuckled. “I might have thought of it once or twice, before I met you. But I think I can settle for spoiling our niece.” He leaned in and kissed Gimli, softly. “You?”

“I think I can settle too.” Gimli admitted. “Besides, I don’t think my beard can take it.”


End file.
